You're obviously bright. You're disciplined and committed to your education. Otherwise, you wouldn't have made it into the University of Iowa in the first place. Things only get more difficult from here, though.
It's not just that courses are more rigorous than they were in high school or that most professors are more demanding than even the strictest high school teachers. When you were in high school, you had someone to get you up in the morning, someone to make sure you studied before you went to bed, and someone to remind you that a keg party on a Tuesday night was a bad idea. Now you're on your own, and you wouldn't be the first student who struggled to make good grades in their first year of college.
What do you do if you're having trouble meeting UI academic progress requirements in your first year? Or, for that matter, your second, third, and fourth?
You contact the Lento Law Firm. Our attorneys know the UI system. They know how to file a grade appeal, what to do if you come down with swine flu in the middle of the semester, whom to talk to when you have a problem, and what to say. And they're ready to use what they know to help you reach your educational goals.
Academic Progression at the University of Iowa
If you're trying to figure out college, it helps to know what's expected of you academically. The University of Iowa allows each individual college to set its own academic standing requirements. Most resemble that of the university's largest college, the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Sciences. That policy requires students to maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average and earn a minimum 1.5 term GPA each semester. Do that, and you remain in Good standing.
What happens when you fall below those numbers? The most immediate consequence is that UI puts you on Academic Probation. There are no requirements while you're on Probation, though the university strongly encourages you to meet with an advisor, and it offers a number of courses on academic improvement. You're primary objective while on Probation is to return to Good standing. You can take as long as you need to do that, provided you earn at least a 2.0-term GPA each semester.
If you fall to a 2.0 term GPA while on Probation, you are then subject to dismissal from your college. You can gain readmission to the university, but only after a year away. In addition, you must apply for reinstatement and undergo a Reinstatement Interview, and your return is not guaranteed.
Dealing With Academic Sanctions
If your low grades are the result of extenuating circumstances, you can appeal to the Student Academic Standards Committee for immediate revocation of a dismissal. Successful appeals usually require documentation of those circumstances—a copy of an obituary, for instance, or a letter from University Counseling Services. The Team at the Lento Law Firm has helped hundreds of students file such appeals. They know what makes for the best evidence and can help you draft documents that put you in the very best light.
Low grades aren't always the result of a long-term illness, though, or a family emergency. What do you do if you can't point to a specific circumstance that led to your deficiencies? And what can you do to respond to the threat of a lesser academic sanction like Probation?
The Lento Law Firm has helped hundreds of students deal with academic progress issues, and they've learned a number of tips and tricks along the way.
- Learning disabilities are far more common than most students realize. If you should discover you're suffering from a condition such as ADD, ADHD, or dyslexia, you may be entitled to course accommodations such as a note-taker or extra time to complete assignments. In addition, you can petition the school to drop your low grades and allow you to retake those courses without penalty.
- Your instructor has the authority to accuse you of academic misconduct, such as plagiarism or cheating, and to assign sanctions like a lowered course grade. This can have a serious effect on your GPA. However, you have the right to challenge their accusations and the sanctions they've assigned by appealing to your instructor's department head.
- Should you suffer any other sort of mistreatment in the classroom, you should bring this to the attention of your instructor's department head as well. You may be entitled to a grade revision.
- Some faculty are open to the prospect of grade negotiation. If you approach them after the semester is over, when they're not in the middle of grading dozens of other student's work, they may see something in your work that they missed before.
- Faculty are also sometimes willing to offer makeup or extra credit assignments. An essay rewrite or an extra lab assignment could be enough to raise your course grade, and one grade can often make a big difference to your GPA.
Of course, if the worst should happen and you should wind up dismissed from the university, the professionals at the Lento Law Firm are also highly experienced at putting readmission packages together. Whatever your situation, you can count on the Lento Law Firm to work with you to develop a plan and to help you execute that plan at every step along the way.
What Can the Lento Law Firm Do for You?
Students sometimes ask: how exactly is an attorney-advisor supposed to help me with academic issues? It's a fair question. It's not like you're on trial for shoplifting. You need help with your grades. That's normally a matter of studying harder or finding a tutor.
As the information on this page suggests, though, succeeding in college is often as much about dealing with bureaucracy as it is about writing papers and taking exams. No one knows more about bureaucracy than attorneys, and no one knows more about how to handle educational bureaucracy than the team at the Lento Law Firm. That team was assembled specifically to handle student conduct and academic progress issues.
The Lento Law Firm is on your side. They understand that no one is perfect, and they're committed to the idea that a few mistakes shouldn't keep you from earning your degree and going on to a successful career. They'll fight to make sure you're treated fairly and that you get all the rights you deserve. You've worked hard to get to this point. Don't let that hard work go to waste. To find out more about how you can fight dismissal, contact the Lento Law Firm today at 888-555-3686, or use our automated online form.
